


He Brought Her Flowers On A Monday

by seibelsays



Series: Fluffy Fridays [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marvel Fluff Bingo 2020, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23229472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seibelsays/pseuds/seibelsays
Summary: He just wanted to do something nice for his friend.Or - the one where Bucky is an absolute disaster, but Darcy loves him anyway.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Series: Fluffy Fridays [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1026537
Comments: 44
Kudos: 357
Collections: Marvel Fluff Bingo





	He Brought Her Flowers On A Monday

**Author's Note:**

> For my Marvel Fluff Bingo square: Buying flowers for no reason. Title is from the Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness song "Monday Flowers."

"Morning nerds!" Darcy called as she breezed into the kitchen.

“Morning Darcy!” a group of lab techs responded in unison, waving their cups in the air in greeting before turning back to their coffee and pastries and talk of changing the universe.

Bucky stilled at the sound. He hadn't intended to still be here when Darcy arrived, and he wasn't quite ready to face her. He peeked at her from behind his hair - so useful these days, he wasn't going to cut it no matter what Steve thought - and saw she was busy poking through the refrigerator. Probably looking for her coconut milk creamer, which had likely been stolen by the overnight shift again.

With Darcy distracted, he dared look to the table. The flowers he'd put there still in place, brightening up the room with their color and light scent. He'd agonized over the choice, probably to an unhealthy degree, but he wanted it to be perfect. He hadn't...done this...in awhile, and Darcy, well. Darcy deserved better than the scraps of him that were left.

So instead of talking to her, he did this. A small gesture to let her know that someone appreciated her. That someone noticed. He'd spent time researching different flowers, their scents, their colors, their meanings, and he felt like he'd made a good choice.

Daffodils. They meant respect and regard. That the sun was bright when he was with her.

"Stupid nighttime gremlins," Darcy grumbled. She closed the refrigerator and grabbed the cinnamon powder off the counter.

"Morning Buckster," she said, not taking her eyes off her coffee as she sprinkled the powder into the dark brew in lieu of her usual cream.

"Hey," he breathed, feeling his breath catch as she glanced up at him with a smile.

Darcy paused, her hand still holding the cinnamon over her cup as she looked at him. "Everything okay?"

"Perfect," Bucky lied. Everything was not fine. Darcy was going to see the flowers, hate the flowers, figure out that the flowers were from him, and never speak to him again. This was a disaster and he shouldn't be allowed to interact with normal people.

"Okay," Darcy said, with a raise of an eyebrow that said very clearly that she didn't believe him but wasn't going to push. She never pushed, unless he really needed her to. He really loved that about her.

Darcy put the lid on her travel mug and nodded at the flowers. "Those are nice."

Bucky glanced at them and pretended to notice them for the first time. "Bright," he bit out.

Darcy grinned as she moved to the table and poked around the small bouquet for a card that wasn't there. Bucky knew it wasn't there because it was currently in his pocket.

Yes, he was a coward. He was aware. 

Dacry leaned in to smell the bright blooms, a smile growing on her face as she did so. "Ooooh. Someone's got a secret admirer."

Bucky turned to her. "What?" he asked, possibly a touch too sharply.

"Daffodils," she shrugged, straightening up. "Means unrequited love."

Shit.

"That's gonna get interesting," Darcy continued, oblivious to Bucky’s sudden distress. "Well, I'm off. Have a good day, Buckaroo." She waved at the lab techs. “Bye nerds!”

“Bye Darcy!”

She swept out of the kitchen, leaving a bewildered Bucky behind.

* * *

This time, he would do better. This time, it would be clear that the flowers were for her.

This time, he'd spent a little more time researching the meaning behind the flower he'd picked. Just to make sure that he wasn't overselling anything.

He admired the shit out of Darcy. He really did. She didn't take anything too seriously, was always ready with a quip or a joke, but at the same time took no shit from anyone and didn't allow other people to be terrible to others as well. She seemed to always know exactly when to be gentle with him, when his bad days were just a little worse than normal, and when she could push his buttons and get away with it.

Although if he were being really honest, he might let her get away with it regardless of how the day had gone. She was his friend and he really admired her. The fact that she was a knockout didn't hurt either.

Okay. He might be a little bit sweet on her.

So. The flowers. After hours of searching, he'd settled on gardenias this time - meaning "you are lovely." Because Darcy was and she deserved to hear it.

Secondhand via flower, but he was working within his limits here.

Yes, he was a coward. He was a coward with _trauma_. He was working on it.

He'd broken into the lab to leave the bouquet on her desk before anyone arrived for the day. They looked a little sad, despite being wrapped up in bright, friendly paper. He hoped they'd be okay without water for the short period of time between when he left them and when Darcy would arrive to find them.

He'd even risked leaving a card this time. His hands barely shook at the thought.

It had been a simple note - just a "hope you have a lovely day." He hadn't signed it.

Wait - he hadn't signed it, had he? He racked his brain. He didn't remember signing it. His memory was not to be relied upon. He glanced at the clock. Darcy wasn't due in for another 10 minutes or so - he had enough time to go check.

He hurried out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the lab. Just before the entrance he paused at the sound echoing out of the lab and down the hall. Was that....sneezing? He hurried forward.

"It's okay Janey, I've got it! Just hang on!" Darcy yelled.

Bucky peeked inside, to see Jane Foster having some sort of sneezing fit. She was practically doubled over with it, her face red.

Darcy snatched the flowers off her desk and ran them to the incinerator chute. She tossed the bouquet in and slammed the door shut, clanging the latch with finality.

"Okay that's done," Darcy sighed, dusting her hands off on her jeans. "Bucky-Bear!" she yelled, spotting him in the hall. "I need you to run to the supply cabinet and grab a few boxes of tissues, some paper towels, and some cleaning spray. I've got to get this pollen out of here before Jane pops!"

Bucky nodded and hurried away.

Jane was allergic to flowers. Bucky had put flowers in Jane's path and now created a mess for Darcy to clean up. Great. That had gone...entirely not to plan.

* * *

Okay. Okay. He could do this. He had a plan this time. Sort of.

Rather than attempting to give Darcy flowers anywhere near the lab, he'd decided to try in the common area. He knew that she usually stopped in for at least a little while after wrapping up in the lab for the day, chatting with whoever happened to be around, stealing a few snacks from the pantry, making a cup of tea, before leaving for the night. It was her way of unwinding from the day.

And today, he had a fresh bouquet of morning glories and ivy to hopefully brighten things for her. He'd really dug into the research this time and knew for a _fact_ that the only thing these flowers meant was affection. So there would be no misinterpreting the meaning - he was just a guy, doing something nice for a friend.

A friend that he might be more than a little sweet on but that was beside the point. The flowers were beautiful and unusual and he'd never really seen a bouquet like it before. He had a feeling that Darcy would love it.

He really, really hoped she'd love it.

He glanced around, finding the space empty and moved to the little sink in the kitchenette area. It was mostly used to house the coffeemaker and electric kettle, the cabinets filled with snacks and every variety of coffee and tea imaginable, but it would serve his purposes. He carefully trimmed the stems of the flowers so there would be a fresh cut, then set the flowers aside so he could fill the vase he'd bought with water and dump in the plant food.

He swirled the water, smiling softly at the pattern the food granules made as they dissolved. A door slam and a sharp bark drew his attention to the entrance.

"Hey Barnes!" Clint greeted.

Bucky nodded in acknowledgement, eyeing the exuberant dog warily. Normally, he adored Lucky. But right now the pup was just a little too excited after his walk.

Bucky turned and set the vase down on the table so he could grab the flowers.

"Lucky," Clint's voice held a warning note. The dog paused.

And then _lunged_ , apparently under the impression that they were still playing a game. He dove straight for the bright paper wrapping surrounding the flowers, knocking the bouquet out of Bucky's hands and onto the floor. He bumped the table, sending the vase tumbling. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the floor.

In an utter embarrassment to their experience and profession, Bucky and Clint froze in shock. Lucky, thrilled with the chaos, immediately proceeded to chew on the flowers.

"What in the world is all the racket in here?" Darcy said, entering the room. "Whoa. What the -" She stopped suddenly as she took in the carnage. "LUCKY! DROP IT!" she commanded.

"What is it? Did he pick up some glass?" Clint eyed the dog with concern, stepping gingerly closer so as to not further crush any glass into the floor and make it even harder to clean up.

"Are these morning glories? They're toxic to dogs!" Darcy said.

"Fuck," Bucky muttered as he knelt next to Lucky. Darcy scrambled to gather up the others as Bucky wrestled the few Lucky had been chewing on out of his mouth.

Clint frantically tapped at his phone. "Uhhhh....toxic in large quantities."

Darcy gave him a look. "And do they quantify what a large quantity is?"

"No," Clint replied weakly.

"Vet. Now." Darcy ordered.

Bucky scooped Lucky up and headed for the door, Darcy close on his heels, dumping the flowers in the trash on the way out.

"JARVIS? Can you get a bot in here to sweep up the glass?" Darcy asked, directing her question to the ceiling.

_"At once, Miss Lewis."_

Lucky whined softly as they bundled him into the car. Darcy crawled into the backseat so she could sit next to Lucky, stroking his fur softly to keep him calm.

Bucky and Clint climbed in, Bucky in the driver's seat as Clint gave directions to the vet.

"Who the hell brought in morning glories anyway?" Darcy muttered. "Dogs live here!"

* * *

Bucky made his way down the hall, his mind firmly set on his mission. He'd done more research. He was more prepared. This time was going to be different. This time, he'd actually get flowers into Darcy's hands.

Two lab techs jumped out of his path and flattened themselves against the wall, something akin to terror in their eyes. Bucky mentally cringed and forced himself to take a breath. He deliberately relaxed, allowing the tension to seep out of him and tried his best to tone down what Darcy teasingly referred to as his "resting murder face."

He attempted an apologetic smile. The tech whimpered.

Well. So much for that.

He continued on with a sigh, finally reaching the common area. The lab was still out - Jane was allergic to flowers, and the kitchen on the labs level just...well, it didn't feel right. He and Darcy spent more of their time in the common area anyway.

And this time, he was prepared. The pink roses he'd picked were not poisonous to dogs. Their meaning was "thankfulness" which - well, it wasn't exactly what he'd intended to convey when he'd come up with this idea, but felt strangely perfect now that he was here.

He was grateful for Darcy. He was grateful for her friendship and her kindness. He was grateful for the kick in the ass she wasn't afraid to give him. He was grateful that she never, ever, not once shied away from him like so many others did.

He was grateful that none of these feelings showed on his face, because otherwise she'd probably know that he was head over heels for her and he didn't think he was quite ready for that.

The common area was empty as he walked in, the tv silently displaying a science documentary. The team had taken a vote ages ago and banned all news coverage from the common area. They all lived and breathed current events - they needed somewhere that would offer at least a little respite. He smiled at the sight, realizing that it was the documentary Jane had contributed to last year - driving Darcy up the wall in the process. In the end, everything had turned out beautifully, but it was not a time anyone looked back on with fondness.

"Fancy meeting you here," Darcy said, her voice coming somewhere from behind him.

He spun around to face her, but couldn't quite force any words to form on his tongue or even to hold the flowers out to her.

"Whatcha got there?" she asked, her smile reassuring.

He glanced down at the flowers. "Ah..." was his eloquent response.

Darcy followed his gaze and her smile faltered. "Pink roses," she said, an odd note in her voice. She blinked a few times and her smile brightened again. "Those for someone special then?"

Before Bucky could think of an appropriate reply, his sensitive ears picked up a faint sound from outside.

"INCOMING!"

That sounded like Steve. But that couldn't be right. Steve was at the outdoor testing range with Tony testing new...missiles.

Bucky tackled Darcy to the ground just as the room around them exploded. He pulled her under the table and shielded her from any shrapnel or debris with his body. He could feel her panicked breath against his neck as she clung to him and he leaned close to her ear so she could hear him over the destruction.

"I've got you. Stay still," he ordered. Then he softened his tone. "I've got you."

* * *

Bucky stared at the wall of flowers in front of him, at a loss. No research this time, just...well, everything else had failed. Maybe he should just grab something and be done with it. Stop overthinking it.

He glanced over his shoulder at the florist who was eyeing him with no small amount of glee. Bucky was probably his best customer at this point. He pointedly turned away and returned his attention to the flowers in front of him.

"Bucky?"

He spun around. "D- uh. Hi. Darcy. Hello."

Smooth.

Darcy shifted uneasily. They hadn't seen much of each other since they'd been pulled out of the rubble that had once been the common area. Partly because they'd both been busy with their own recovery efforts and partly because Bucky was hiding from her. The worst part was, he couldn't even articulate why.

"Looking for some flowers?" Darcy asked.

"Um." Bucky cleared his throat. "Yep."

Darcy moved to stand beside him and consider the wall. He turned, so as to mimic her stance, but kept stealing quick, surreptitious looks in her direction.

She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. "Guess the ones you had for your special someone got ruined the other day, huh?"

"What? Oh. The roses."

"Yeah. They were pretty."

"Yeah."

Darcy gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You getting more roses today?"

He shook his head. "No, they...they didn't quite have the meaning I was going for."

She tilted her head. "What were you going for?"

"I was...doesn't matter." Coward. He gestured at the wall. "I'll probably just grab something pretty. Forget the meaning."

Darcy nodded slowly. "I could help, if you want?"

Bucky hesitated then gestured at the cornucopia of flowers in front of them. "What do you like?"

Darcy's smile turned a little more genuine, and a touch wry. "Well, who are they for?"

He probably should have anticipated the question.

"Me," he blurted out. "I just...there's no reason, really. I just want something pretty. Something that's alive, to brighten up the place, you know?"

Darcy's smile softened and she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. "I think that's nice."

Bucky squeezed her hand back. "Yeah? It's not...I don't know."

"It's not," she reassured him. She reached out and picked a small bunch of yellow tulips. "These. Nice and sunny. Even if there's a debate as to whether or not cut flowers are actually already dead."

Bucky blinked. "That's..."

Darcy laughed. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah.

* * *

Bucky groaned as he trudged into his apartment. The mission had been long and boring right up until it was fast and bloody. He ached in ways that didn't happen all that often anymore and his entire being was screaming at him, begging for a shower.

He dropped his gear next to the door and kicked off his shoes, before making his way through the apartment. He made short work of cleaning up, despite his aches and pains. The serum would sort them out fast enough - no need to waste the water.

Once he was changed into his softest, most comfortable sweats, he made his way back into the kitchen to look for a snack. He opened the refrigerator, finding nothing but week-old takeout leftovers and milk that had gone off probably a few days prior.

How was it that he lived in one of the most advanced buildings in the world and yet they hadn't figured out a self-cleaning refrigerator yet?

Maybe it was on the list just after the flying car.

He sighed and resigned himself to leaving the apartment. The temporary common kitchen was usually pretty well stocked - he was almost certain to find something there. Then he could come back and collapse.

He fidgeted with his phone as the elevator descended, debating whether or not to text Darcy. It was late, she was probably already asleep, but she did always insist on being kept in the loop. She especially worried when it was a long mission, like this one had been. Still, it was late. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and resolved to call her first thing in the morning. He could buy her coffee or something.

The doors slid open with a soft ding and let him out into the temporary space. He made his way into the little kitchen and opened the freezer, squinting a little at the different labels on all the meals stashed away in there.

"Steve stole the last paneer tikka," Darcy said, causing him to startle slightly, "but I hid a hatch chile mac and cheese under the bag of frozen spinach for you."

He dug through the freezer until he found his prize. He pulled it out of the freezer and held it up to her, grinning triumphantly. "Made my night. Thank you."

"Made your morning, you mean," Darcy said, barely stifling a yawn. "Don't think I missed the fact that you didn't tell me you were back."

"Only back long enough to change and shower. I figured you'd be sleeping," he offered.

"Poor excuse, but I'm too tired to argue. We'll fight in the morning when you buy my breakfast." She tugged on his sleeve until he leaned down a little, so he was at her eye level. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Glad you're back, Buck."

"'S good to be home."

Darcy hummed her agreement. They stared at each other for a moment, then she spoke up again. "So I had a thought while you were away."

That was either really good or really bad. "Oh?" he said, trying not to let his nerves show.

"The flowers. You've been bringing flowers around a lot lately."

Bucky shifted slightly and turned away, busying himself with getting his mac and cheese into the microwave.

"And you never said who they were for," Darcy continued. "I asked around - no one else ever saw you with flowers. Not really. Not unless..." her voice trailed off.

So they were doing this. He pressed the "start" button on the microwave, then turned back to her. "Unless?" he prompted.

Darcy picked at the edge of the counter. "Not unless I was around."

"Yeah."

At that simple statement, Darcy's eyes snapped to his like magnets. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay then. Good." She moved around to the other side of the counter, where her bag was sitting. She pulled out a flower.

"Jonquil," she said, holding it out to him. "For you."

He took it. "It's lovely."

She nodded. "All those flowers you bought...were you...did you..." She forced out a sharp breath. "Flowers have meanings. Did you pick those flowers on purpose?"

He nodded. "It was just a dumb idea I had. Get you something that told you...what you meant. Mean. To me."

"So...the daffodils."

"Respect."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And the morning glories?"

"Affection. There were the gardenias before that though."

"Oh yeah. Poor Jane. What'd you mean with those?"

"You are lovely."

Her breath hitched. "And the roses?"

"Thankfulness."

She nodded. "I should go."

Wait. "Why?"

"Because..." she laughed bitterly. "Because daffodils also mean unrequited love and a dark pink rose means thankfulness, but the lighter pink roses you had mean secret love. I thought...well, it doesn't matter what I thought." She sighed and gave him a tired smile. "Good night, Buck. I'm glad you're home safe."

Bucky stared after her as she turned to go, his mind reeling. If Darcy thought...and she had....Wait.

"What's the jonquil mean?"

Darcy stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. "Please don't ask me that."

"Okay. What do yellow tulips mean?"

Darcy huffed. "Hopeless love," she said, a sharp bitter edge to her voice that he'd never heard directed at him before.

Bucky knew what it felt like for his heart to stop. He would swear that's the exact feeling that filled his chest now.

"Darcy," he said slowly, reaching for her hand. "What does the jonquil mean?"

Darcy closed her eyes and refused to look at him. "Affection returned," she whispered.

A bright, warm feeling spread through him. His blood felt carbonated and he was pretty sure gravity had given up just a little bit of power that it held over him. He brought the jonquil to his nose and gave it a delicate sniff.

"Darcy," he whispered. She cracked open one eye to look at him. He held the flower out to her.

Her breath hitched as she hiccuped softly. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She tilted her head back with a groan. "God we're stupid." She reached forward, grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down to her level before crashing her lips against his.

When they finally broke apart, Darcy grinned at him. "Buck? Next time, if you want to get me something? Stick to coffee."

"Whatever you say, Darcy," he grinned and kissed her again.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Friday everyone. Take care of yourselves and each other. 
> 
> <3 seibelsays


End file.
